Middle East - Africa News
World Central Kitchen pauses Gaza relief efforts after 7 workers killed in Israeli strike
The Israel Defense Forces have accepted responsibility for the strike but said they did not intend to kill innocent humanitarian... Read more
‘The mother of all holy vigils’: Jerusalem basilica is first place to announce Easter
In the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, the church of the Lord’s resurrection, the Easter Vigil is held on Saturday... Read more
The Holy Land may turn into a museum or an architectural remembrance, archbishop warns
The archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Francisco Cerro Chávez, stressed in a recent letter the need to support... Read more
PHOTOS: Friars and faithful gather in Upper Room in Jerusalem to mark the Last Supper
On Holy Thursday, the doors of the Cenacle in Jerusalem were opened to welcome the Franciscans of the Custody of... Read more
Holy Wednesday in Jerusalem: Venerating the pillar of Christ’s flagellation
In Jerusalem, the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land venerate the two stones that, according to Luke’s Gospel,... Read more
Holy Land priest recommends 4 ways to live a worthwhile Holy Week
Father Juan María Solana, LC, director of the Magdala Center in the Holy Land, offers four ways to live worthwhile... Read more
PHOTOS: As Catholics enter Holy Week, Orthodox churches begin Great Lent in Holy Land
As the Catholic Church in the Holy Land entered Holy Week by literally retracing the steps of Jesus’ passion, the... Read more
PHOTOS: Palm Sunday procession in Holy Land celebrates ‘joy in being Christians’
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, led the procession, which departed from Bethphage on the eastern side of... Read more
What is the ‘Status Quo’ that governs some of Jerusalem’s holiest sites?
A decree going back to 1852 governs the possession and rights of use for Catholic and Orthodox Christian communities at... Read more
Lifting of moratorium on death penalty in Congo ‘a step backwards,’ cardinal says
In a March 17 interview, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo said he finds it “abnormal that a government that claims to be... Read more
African cardinal: Fiducia Supplicans seen as ‘cultural colonization, Western imperialism’
In a March 17 interview, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo deplored the lack of “synodality” in the release of the DDF document... Read more
German bishops to Church in Africa: Initiate canonization of German martyrs
A representative of the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference has challenged African Church leaders to initiate the canonization processes for German... Read more
Christians in Gaza face ‘worst period’ since start of war, report says
The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need reported that the Christian community in Gaza “is going through the... Read more
Attack on Coptic monastery in South Africa takes lives of three monks
The Coptic Orthodox Church announced that three monks were attacked and murdered Tuesday in the Coptic monastery in South Africa. Read more
Chaldean patriarch urges preservation of rights for Iraq’s diverse communities
As the 21st anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime approaches, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako has called for a... Read more
South Sudan bishop: Our people ‘on brink of destitution, slowly perishing’
In a March 8 letter, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala described the desperate situation of his people in South Sudan. Read more
Gaza teen waits to follow vocation: ‘My faith is flourishing amidst the challenges of war’
Suhail Shadi Abu Dawod was planning to join the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) in Italy — then the... Read more
Bishop-elect in Central African Republic vows to foster peace through dialogue with rebel groups
Monsignor Aurelio Gazzera of the Diocese of Bangassou hopes to become a “symbol of peace” as armed groups continue to... Read more
This tailoring shop in Jordan helps Iraqi refugees knit their lives back together
Founded by Father Mario Cornioli, the shop called Rafedìn has been helping Iraqis rebuild their lives over the past eight... Read more
Vatican reiterates calls for hostage returns, cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin insisted on Tuesday that a “cease-fire” is the only way for the hostages... Read more
